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First place ($1,500)
Active Ames – Leah Ylonen, senior in healthcare management, and Injir Batmunkh, junior in SCI VIZ.
Active Ames, is a personalized fitness scheduling app and calendar that reimagines fitness accessibility in Ames through awareness and connection. The app integrates fitness class schedules and amenities across the community, allowing users to customize their own fitness plans. It also includes information about all 40 city parks, highlighting key features of each.
“Healthapalooza has had such a great impact on me, as it brought me a chance to find a gap in our community, and then the opportunity to provide a solution for it. It was such a great experience as my partner and I were able to combine our experiences, perspectives, and strengths, and then work together to find a common goal. There was a significant value in having the opportunity to collaborate with LAS, as it led me to venture outside of Ivy and meet new people. Every encounter I had was so positive and uplifting, as everyone in LAS was so supportive and encouraging through this whole process,” said Ylonen.
“It was a really intense but rewarding experience. I’ve been fascinated with UI/UX (user interface and user experience) design recently, so I was beyond thrilled to work on a project that let me dive into that field and learn more,” said Batmunkh.
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Second place ($800)
Passport and Map to Ames – Emma Rios, junior in biology on a pre-med track; Katherine Watkins, junior in genetics; and Zuzanna Ratajczak, senior double majoring in fashion design and merchandising as well as healthcare management.
Passport and Map to Ames encourages residents to explore the more than 40 parks around town. The map highlights parks and trails with accessibility symbols, helping residents of any fitness level find the perfect place to visit. Their interactive passport invites participants to take it along the trails, featuring simple activities for all ages such as spotting local wildlife, pressing flowers or leaves from their path, and collecting hole punches as a fun way to mark and remember each completed trail.
“Participating in Healthapalooza was a wonderful experience and I’m already excited to do it again. It offered opportunities beyond the classroom, opening doors for careers, friendships, and personal growth. The best part was the pride I felt in our project, knowing we had achieved something meaningful beyond just a grade,” said Rios.
In addition to featuring their solutions at the Healthapalooza Showcase in the Student Innovation Center, winning teams were also invited to present their projects during Mary Greeley’s First Friday event on November 7, and a subsequent Ames City Council meeting on November 20.
Keynote panel
The week began with a keynote panel moderated by John Meyer, director of business development and partner relations at Mary Greeley Medical Center and associate professor of practice in healthcare management at the Ivy College of Business. Panelists included:
- Deb Schildroth – executive director, Heartland of Story County and former Ames assistant city manager.
- Michael Kitchell – retired neurologist and former board president at McFarland Clinic.
- Karen Kiel Rosser – vice president and chief quality and strategy officer, Mary Greeley Medical Center.
- Kira Werstein – director of graduate education for the master of digital health, and teaching professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Health, College of Health and Human Sciences, Iowa State.
- John Haila – mayor of Ames, Iowa, founder of Haila Architecture Structure Planning.
Panelists shared insights from their fields, offering a range of perspectives on community fitness — from policy and public administration to healthcare, exercise science, and design. Their discussion emphasized the importance of collaboration, accessibility, and sustained community engagement in promoting health across populations.
Learning sessions
Students participated in hands-on learning sessions led by experts from Iowa State and the Ames community, including:
- Clif McIntosh – associate director of program operations, Student Health and Wellness, Iowa State.
- Felicitas Avendano – owner and head trainer, SureFire Fitness in Ames.
- Gregory J. Welk – Barbara E. Forker Professor, Department of Kinesiology and Health, and Distinguished Professor of Human Sciences, College of Health and Human Sciences, Iowa State.
- Johnny DiBlasi – associate professor, Scientific Illustration and Visualization, Department of Art and Visual Culture, College of Design, Iowa State.
- Em Kief – associate teaching professor, Scientific Illustration and Visualization, Department of Art and Visual Culture, College of Design, Iowa State.
These sessions gave teams the opportunity to explore topics such as artificial intelligence, user interface design, health behavior, and prototyping while deepening their understanding of community fitness.
Showcase and awards
At the end of the week, 10 interdisciplinary teams presented their projects at the Healthapalooza Showcase on Friday, October 24. Each team shared its solution with a panel of judges representing academia, healthcare, and community leaders. Judges included:
- Kira Werstein – director of graduate education for the master of digital health, and teaching professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Health, College of Health and Human Sciences, Iowa State.
- John Haila – mayor of Ames, Iowa, founder of Haila Architecture Structure Planning.
- John Meyer – director of business development and partner relations, Mary Greeley Medical Center, associate professor of practice in healthcare management, Ivy College of Business, Iowa State University.
- Dior Kelley – associate professor, Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Iowa State.
- Natallia Gray – executive director for healthcare initiatives and teaching professor healthcare management, Ivy College of Business, Iowa State.
Students proposed a wide range of ideas addressing barriers to physical activity, community engagement, and health communication. Judges praised the creativity, collaboration, and real-world potential of the projects.
“Healthapalooza was a meaningful experience that pushed me to grow in the health field, a field which I’m passionate about and plan to pursue a career in. This week-long, health-focused competition not only strengthened my skills but also provided great networking opportunities with professionals and peers who share my passion for health and wellness. It was inspiring, motivating, and fun to connect with others who share similar goals,” said Kailee Shroyer, senior in kinesiology.
Continuing impact
Healthapalooza continues to highlight the transformative potential of visual storytelling and interdisciplinary collaboration in addressing real community health challenges. The partnership between Iowa State and Mary Greeley Medical Center demonstrates how academic innovation and community leadership can come together to advance public health and inspire future professionals.
As the event continues to grow, Healthapalooza remains committed to empowering students to visualize health in new ways and make a lasting impact on their communities.
“Healthapalooza 2025 wouldn’t have been possible without the hard work of our chief event organizer, Brooklin Border, the amazing students, and our valuable industry and on-campus partners,” Moss said. “We look forward to continuing to grow this connection between students and the community in future Healthapalooza events and are excited about offering new ways students can have a positive impact in the Ames community.”
The planning committee invested significant time and effort over the summer to bring this event to our students. Planning committee members included:
- Iowa State: Brooklin Border, Kimberley Moss, and Natallia Gray.
- Mary Greeley: Karen Kiel Rosser, Tammy Stegman, Jo-el Sprecher, Hannah Fielmier, Steve Sullivan, and Neenah Bentley.
- John Meyer (both Iowa State and Mary Greeley).
